I needed to replace mr Samdung HD-850 and couldn't resist trying the Oppo. I purchased one via the internet directly from the Oppo website on Friday. I got an email a few minutes later and the DVD player showed up Monday at 11AM.
From a laypersons perspective it is the nicest picture I've seen on my TV. I have a 43" HDTV DLP from Samsung
, great TV but DVD players from them ....
High def satellite looks awesome but DVD playback was never all that satisfying. With the Oppo I have tried a few titles already. Anything LOTR extended looks astonishing, Underworld (mastered in HD) looks incredible and samples from several other movies in my library were equally stunning.
The odd thing about this player is that it doesn't look all that impressive, the remote is really cheap (but my RXV2500 remote was able to learn 90% of the Oppo remote), the DVD tray feels like it's going to break everytime I use it and the buttons on the front of the player are not very responsive. Oppo service tech says this is normal for the player, btw.
What it lacks in physical appeal and build quality it certainly seems to make up for in all other ways. Blacks on my DVD playback are now INK black instead of very dark grey. Imagery is almost as good if not AS good as my HD satellite picture. Excellent setup menu with comprehensive control of the players systems. Lots of audio tweaks. Seamless transitions during playback of movies. Can tweak setup while watching a movie. Can defeat almost every feature if needed. Audio playback is flawless (to me).
I'm not sure there is anything that can come close to it in terms of features, internal quality and price. I love it. I'm excited about rewatching my favorite movies with it. And until blu-ray or whatever the next new must-have format is becomes more of a necessity and less of an option, I'll be happily sticking with Oppo.
I highly recommend this player to anyone looking for a universal player. BTW, it plays DVD-A's through multi-channel output but not SACD's.
